The Call of Dawn
by azert
Summary: Being sick is bad, but being airsick is unacceptable to Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca. A certain pirate thinks otherwise.
1. Chapter 1

The Call of Dawn

A Fanfiction by Azert

**Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 12, square enix does. It's not like they'll just hand it over to me, anyway...**

**Pairing: Balthier and Ashe**

**Rating: T for language **

**Summary: Getting sick is no fun, but getting _air_sick is worse.**

It was a nice airship, I suppose. But it being an_ air_ship, and me being me, I could not judge it. I hated flying with a passion, a fear not even Rasler or Basch could quite understand. I sat heavily on the seat farthest from the window and closed my eyes. With luck, I would fall asleep until we reached Nalbina. But luck has a twisted sense of humor, for I stayed awake. Fran powered up the Strahl while Balthier shoved a chattering Vaan into a seat.

"Shut up and strap yourself in. I would hate for you to go flying out of your seat and get quashed when we take off." Balthier told the boy, who glared at the pirate. I strapped myself in with trembling hands and hid my face in my hands. I could feel Basch's concered gaze as the ship lifted gently off the ground. Sweat trickled down my neck as the ship veered upward, and my stomach lurched. "Ooh." I gasped when the ship rocked in a gust of wind.

I unstrapped myself and stumbled to the bathroom. The white toilet bowl seemed to smirk up at me as I lost my lunch and breakfast in a single heave. I vomited until there was nothing left for me to lose, and then stood up. With shaking fingers, I wiped off my mouth and washed it out with water from the sink.

_"Ashe!" Rasler gasped as I puked up my previous meal. A warm hand rubbed soothing circles on my back as I gagged over the egde of the ship's balcony. It was my first time flying, and Rasler just _had _to be there to witness my shame. We were traveling back to Nabradia to visit Rasler's family for the first time in four years. Ships were by far the fastest was to travel over the deserts of Dalmasca, and I had found the slightest motion of the ship made my stomach lurch. I was only thirteen, but I was raised to act beyond my years to help me protect myself against Archadians. Since the death of my mother, I had not cried once. __Yet now I found myself weeping in fear as the ship tossed in the turbulence. Rasler kept a gentle hold on my arm as I bent over that railing. "It's all right, Ashe. I won't let you fall." He told me._

I stumbled out of the bathroom, and fell against the wall of the hallway. "Are you all right, princess?" a very familiar, and equally unwanted, voice asked. "I'm fine." I managed to croak. Balthier frowned as I lurched back toward the cabin. "Being airsick isn't something to be ashamed of." He informed me, and I blushed scarlet. "I was _not _airsick. Lunch didn't agree with me." I told him, and stalked away. I heard his chuckle as I sat down, and it made me scowl.

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**sorry, but that's all I have for now. I'll be updating every other day, so yay for me. **

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Being bored is no fun, so here's chapter 2! Notice: for those of you who are thick or just plain stupid, this is fron Ashe's POV. I do not own FF12. Square enix does. This comment applies to all of my future chapters unless i magically become a millionaire and buy it. Then i'll make sure to let you know.:P_

"Are you well, Ashe?" Basch asked as I collapsed into my seat. "Perfectly fine." I replied tartly. _I will apologize when we get out of this blasted sky_. I thought, and tried to ignore the frequent dips in the ship's altitude. Eventually, I retreated to the room Penelo, Fran, and I would share. I fell gracelessly on the bed reserved for me and tried to fall asleep.

It must have worked, because when I woke again, both Fran and Penelo were asleep in their beds as well. I stumbled out of the room as quietly as I could and opened the bathroom door without knocking. "AHHH!" the current occupant screamed, and the door shut in my face. "Gods, woman! Did you never learn to knock on doors?" The occupant, Balthier, hissed. "Nope. Now get out before I vomit all over your boots that you left out here." I groaned the door opened and I was pulled inside. Balthier pushed me towards the toilet and I gagged. _He was shaving._ I thought absently as my stomach rejected whatever was left in it. "There's only one cure for airsickness." Balthier informed me when I was done. I wiped my mouth with the paper towel he offered, and I washed out my mouth.

"Yes, I know-solid ground." I told him, and he rolled his eyes. "Wrong." He snorted, and grabbed me by the elbow. "Where are we going?" I asked, trying to ignore my pounding heart. It seemed to happen whenever he touched me. "To find a cure." He replied, and threw open a door I hadn't noticed earlier. He pulled me up some stairs and opened another door. "Please tell me this isn't-" I began, but never finished, for we were on top of the ship. I recoiled instantly, but his grip on my arm kept me from going far. "Do you want me to puke all over you?" I hissed in disbelief. The top was railed in, of course, but that thin railing was the only thing keeping me from falling all the way to the ground. I shivered, but he pressed on.

"What is it about flying that you hate?" he asked. "Other than the cruel pirate who captains it?" I asked, sarcasm dripping from every word. "Yes." He replied, ignoring the jab. "Falling. Taking off. Landing. Pretty much the whole damn thing." I told him, then sighed. "Well, landing's not too horrible because afterwards you get to get off." I relented. He pulled me to the railing and I muffled a scream. "Don't look down, but up or straight ahead." He told me, and I gazed up at the sliver of the moon.

"See? It's not so bad if you don't remember that you're in the air." He whispered in my ear. "If." I agreed. The sky was clear, and I could see every star in the sky. "What I hate is the feeling that I could fall." I admitted. "You think that I'd let my ship fall out of the sky? I'm glad your opinion of me is so high." He snorted, making me laugh. "There was a time when I fell from somewhere high up, and I broke my arm. Now I'm terrified of falling." I confessed. "Oh? and when was this?" He asked, and I shrugged. "When I was a little girl, Father always told me not to climb up the trees in the garden. It made me curious, so I snuck out and climbed up as high as I could. Rasler found me, but I slipped and fell the thirteen feet to the ground. He ran for help." I replied, and he smiled. "I wouldn't have imagined you for a tree-climbing girl." He propted, and I snorted. "I hated dolls. Their faces reminded me of the politicians that would visit the palace. They would smile, all right, but it would never touch their eyes." I shuddered.

"A princess afraid of dolls." Balthier laughed, and I elbowed him in the gut. "You better not tell anyone, or I'll make those words your last. Not even Basch knew that the dolls he bought me stayed hidden in my closet, and if he does, I swear by everything holy or not, I'll knock you from here to next Wednesday with that wonderous hammer you bought for Fran." I swore, and he laughed. "Your secret is safe with me." He promised.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Pancakes.**

_Sorry it's been a while, but school is kinda important. _

_I do not own FF12, Square Enix does, and I hate them for it. Now for Balthier's POV!!_

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_Who would've thought that the princess was afraid of dolls? _I thought, watching the slightly green woman leave the open air. _It's not my secret to tell, and I really don't want to get hit with a hammer_. I mentally chided myself, and left the skyview, careful to lock the door behind me. "Nono, how long until we reach Nalbina?" I asked the moogle as he passed me in the halls. "About four hours, captain." Nono replied, and I grinned. Four hours would pass like lightning, as far as I was concerned.

"Wake up, you useless tosspots!" I shouted gleefully into the room Basch, Vaan, and I would share. "Ung." Vaan moaned, while Basch glared. "It is like, four in the moring!" Vaan groaned, turning over on his bed. "Four smore. I want you to make food. Good food, like Fran could make but won't because she hates a certain little thief." I ordered. "But no one else is awake! If you want a fourth meal, make it yourself." Basch growled.

"But they will be awake, and it'll be soon. Chop chop! We don't have all day!" I chuckled, and turned on the lights. Vaan yelped, shielding his eyes, as Basch stumbled away, muttering about blasted pirates. "Pancakes!" I sang, trying to annoy the former captain more. "SHUT UP!!" Basch bellowed. "Ooh! Now you've done it!" I cackled, and Ashe stormed out of her room, followed by Penelo. "**DO YOU HAVE PROBLEMS**?!" Penelo roared as Ashe nodded. "It is _FOUR_ in the _MORNING_!" Ashe added, glaring at Basch.

"Basch was the one who yelled." I poked the man on the shoulder. "What is the meaning of this?"Ashe asked Basch, suddenly calm. "Balthier wants a fourth meal." Basch grumbled. "Pancakes!" I intoned. "Ugh. Just go back to sleep." Ashe moaned, stalking back to her room. "Damn it, now I won't be able to go back to sleep." Penelo growled, glaring at me. "You could always help make the pancakes." I suggested. "Go to Hell, pirate." Penelo hissed, and flounced away.

When my pancakes were finally done, they were burnt. "You burned them!" I shouted in dismay. _I should have known they would do this sort of thing._ "You woke me up at four in the morning." Vaan countered. "So?" I asked, prodding the blackened pancakes with a fork. They were as hard as rocks. "So next time you want something to eat, make it yourself." Vaan snorted, and trotted away. _You get toilet duty for this._ I noted, and tossed the pancakes in the trash.

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_I wanted to make this chapter about pancakes. It really has no meaning to it, but it was fun to type._


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